


Balance

by Cuzosu



Category: Leverage
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Getting Together, Introspection, M/M, Multi, No Sex, OT3, Parker and Hardison are an established couple, Pre-OT3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:00:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21939361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cuzosu/pseuds/Cuzosu
Summary: What their relationship needs is balance.Whothey need is Eliot.The question is how to get him to agree.
Relationships: Alec Hardison/Parker/Eliot Spencer
Comments: 12
Kudos: 158
Collections: 2019 Leverage Secret Santa Exchange





	Balance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Archer973](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Archer973/gifts).



> I have no idea how I wrote this much fluff, but I did. And in a rush after a month of migraines, at that. Go, me! 
> 
> Many thanks to my friend Fei and to Karios from the Leverage Secret Santa Exchange (Discord) group for last minute beta and tossing tag and title ideas at me! It would not have turned out nearly so well without you!

She was the world’s greatest thief, but she’d never had to allow people to touch her to do her job. Parker hadn’t been comfortable with touch since — well, most of her life. And then the team had come together, No Stabbing Wednesdays happened, and…somehow, among the team and with occasional help, Parker realized she could _enjoy_ touch again. 

She spent a day hugging Bunny, too overcome for words even when she tried to whisper explanations, and then found herself, once again, perched on the back of the couch with her leg against Alec’s shoulder while he hacked. When she kissed him, he was confused but willing, and somehow she thought he knew there was a reason for it. He didn’t ask, though, didn’t push. So she kissed him again. 

Thirty minutes later, she was in the kitchen getting hands-on lessons from Eliot. Instead of chopping like he was teaching her, she leaned back against him with a sigh and just...let herself rest. He’d catch her if she fell. He’d _want to._

Maybe it wasn’t normal, but then none of them were. Maybe they didn’t have to be. 

Parker smiled, knowing neither man would betray her, and turned her attention back to meal prep. 

Parker had been watching them, but she was always watching them. Alec wasn’t the greatest with people — Eliot, Nate, and Sophie had always been the best at figuring people out in person. But she couldn’t take this to Eliot until she’d spoken to Alec about it, and Nate would just advise caution. 

She wasn’t naturally cautious, was the problem. She was a thief, the world’s greatest thief, and this time, she wanted to steal another person. In a permanent manner. 

Sophie was the best person to talk this through with before she broached the subject to Alec, and the grifter didn’t seem surprised. “You’re going to have to be patient with them,” Sophie warned her. “Hardison especially. Eliot will require stubbornness more than anything, but for a man, he’s amazingly in touch with his emotions. Don’t let him run, but don’t force it, either. Let him know what you want, and then let him think it through.” Dryly, she added, “Unlike Nate, Eliot can be reasoned with.” 

Alec had no idea what was on Parker’s mind when she perched atop the couch, but that was normal. He’d always found that to be part of her charm. She confused absolutely everyone. 

That said, he was seriously unprepared for her to lead with, “We’re unbalanced on our own.” 

Hacking up a lung, he stared at her over his orange soda and tried not to panic. “Come again, Mama?” 

She frowned and thought a moment, trying to find another way to phrase it. “...we’re not stable, and I don’t want us to change, but it’s — dangerous, there’s always a crash waiting to happen. And I don’t want us to crash. Like. Like that Icarus thing you told me about?” 

His own frown was more confused than anything. If Parker wanted to break up with him, she’d say so. “What do you think we need, then, Mama?” 

Parker let out a relieved breath. “Eliot,” she told him. “We need Eliot. He can balance us, and we can balance him.” 

Alec blinked and weighed the suggestion. On the one hand, Eliot didn’t have the greatest track record with relationships, usually because of his job. On the other hand, they already knew about his job and worked with him anyway, and Eliot had already proven he didn’t want them hurt if he could help it. And maybe Nana would like having someone around for Thanksgiving who could cook, and it wasn’t like Alec hadn’t noticed how attractive the older man was; Parker had just stolen Alec first. 

A poly relationship might not be the easiest thing in the world, but maybe there was some truth to the Icarus comparison if they stayed just a hetero couple. They were some of the best thieves in the world, but balance was not their forte. Balance was something Eliot had painstakingly taught himself, and with three people handling the aspects they were best at, the same way they did their jobs, well. It could easily create a much more positive outcome. 

“I’m in,” the hacker found himself saying. “Let’s steal Eliot.” 

Parker’s brilliant grin and the kiss she gave him? Best affirmation he’d made the right decision. The only thing missing was Eliot. 

  
  
  


Contrary to popular belief, Eliot hadn’t made it to top dog status as a hitter and then retrieval specialist by being all brawn. His team even knew that, perhaps _especially_ his team knew that. 

Which didn’t explain why his favorite thief and hacker were driving him batty. His “Damn it, Hardison!” quota was rising by leaps and bounds. 

They were up to something. Hardison appeared to be _studying_ the hitter, and Parker was attempting to be more subtle with some of her poking and prodding to make him react. It was suspicious, and — Eliot knew his teammates. They probably didn’t know how obvious they were, to someone who knew them well. 

He took a weekend off to go fishing; a breather from having them so insistently in his personal space was a little slice of heaven. However much he loved them, he could only handle so long around them when they became overbearing. It was still longer than he’d put up with from anyone else; hell, he’d called Nate out on his shit for less. But Parker was still learning how to interact with people, especially people she cared about, and Hardison meant well, even when he got obnoxious. 

No, his job was to protect the team and he would. Even from himself. 

Stepping back into team headquarters above the brew pub, Eliot was greeted by Parker, who shoved a cup of good coffee in his hands and pursed her lips, then stated, “You shouldn’t go for so long next time. We missed you.” 

“Next time, make sure Hardison has a travel pack and satellite access; you can both come with.” The words were out of his mouth before consulting his brain, but he didn’t try to take them back. And because he was talking to Parker, he added, “If you’re interested, I can teach you how to catch fish barehanded.” 

She pursed her lips again and nodded thoughtfully at him, hugged him briefly, and then disappeared into the ether again. Or, more likely, the vents. 

Eliot took a sip of coffee, savored it, and resumed hauling his duffel of laundry inside. If they were normal people, he’d think Parker and Hardison were courting him subtly. 

Alec loved Parker and Eliot as much as he loved his tech, _more_ than he loved his tech, but his frustration mounted higher every day. The hitter didn’t seem to be cluing in that they wanted him in the relationship. 

“I don’t know what to do,” he muttered to his laptop. “People ain’t my forte. Ain’t Parker’s, either. We asked Sophie and that’s not been helpful. I don’t know who to ask for advice, let alone….” 

He was interrupted by his phone ringing. The screen read _Nana._

Hardison grinned. “Oh hell yeah!” 

Nana got matters of the heart the way Eliot got violence. She was _definitely_ the person to ask. 

His smile was audible when he answered. “Perfect timing, Nana!”

Eliot eyed his teammate askance when the hacker sat down at the island in the kitchen, computer conspicuously absent, and then Parker climbed out of a vent and settled on the counter again. “I feel like I’m being tag-teamed,” he grumbled. “Out with it.” 

“Can we steal you?” Parker asked, snagging a piece of food out of habit. 

He stopped in his tracks; that was not what he’d been expecting. Well, no. He’d half expected Parker to ask earlier, if anything, and now they were tag-teaming him? The hitter took a deep breath; in, out, _focus,_ he didn’t really want to punch anyone yet, but in his line of work, surprises often required violent reactions for survival. 

They were waiting, watching him. It was the quiet that convinced him they both meant it; Hardison — _Alec —_ was not a naturally quiet person. If he was this intent, they were serious. Which mean his response mattered. 

Still, he had one question: “Why,” he began, and held up a hand to stop their immediate answers. “Not why me,” he clarified, setting the knife down to give them his full attention as well. “Why now? What changed?” Because he wanted it, had for a long time, and this was a more abrupt aboutface than he’d suspected might happen. Of course, given his favorite thief was involved….

“Parker suggested it and, man, I’m kinda kickin’ myself for not giving the three of us serious thought earlier. We just — we _fit,_ Eliot, all three of us. Yeah, we’re all messed up, but we _work,_ as a team and as people when personal bleeds into professional, and...I’m with Parker on this one. You _balance_ us, as people. You’re already part of our relationship, we have problems when we’re away from you for too long, and you…. Eliot, I don’t know how you do all those flings where you can’t talk about your jobs, but with us that’s not a problem, and. And I’m not used to being with a guy but I like spending time with you and _yes,_ you’re stupidly attractive!” 

Eliot leaned in and kissed the hacker when he paused to breathe. It was soft and sweet, and Alec’s surprised flailing only endeared him to the idea of them forming a full triad relationship even more. “Balance, huh?” he asked, a little half-smile lurking at the corner of his mouth. “Yeah, we’re pretty good at that together.” 

Parker dove off her perch and tackled them both in a hug. It felt like home. 


End file.
